


The Bachelor and the Bride

by snarkysweetness



Series: Storybrooke University [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Storybrooke AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-08-11
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:04:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysweetness/pseuds/snarkysweetness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After graduation, Ruby and Killian decide to elope and bring Emma and August along for the ride. Will the guarded Emma finally let August in or will she keep their ‘friendship’ intact? Or will he charm her until she can no longer resist? And can Ruby and Killian make it through the first few weeks of their marriage without killing each other? Storybrooke AU. Sequel to ‘The Party’. Part two in the ‘Storybrooke University’ series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Graduation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sevenxhells](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevenxhells/gifts).



> So inspired by my wife’s keyboard smashing (and my total surprise that other people liked it) I decided to write a sequel to ‘The Party’. I’m calling this series ‘Storybrooke University’ because I’m fucking clever. Also, my wife gave me a lot of feels with the ideas she had for this (which aren’t in this story) so if she or anyone else wants to take the idea of them all being in college together and roll with it, go for it. I’ll be excited to read it. This will be five chapters long. Happy Belted Valentine’s Day, wife, and to my fellow babes, enjoy!

“Well, well, if it isn’t the fair Emma. Make anyone cry lately?”

Emma lowered her drink and glared at August over her red cup. After a moment she decided that he wasn’t worth picking a fight with. Ever since her drunken night out it seemed like they were constantly running into one another, something that couldn’t be helped when their best friends were sleeping together. They were in a constant battle between flirting, trying to like one another, and being too stubborn to do anything but sass the other.

Ruby was convinced that they were into one another. However, Ruby had killed far too many brain cells in her life and Emma wasn’t sure Ruby knew anything.

“Don’t you have some…poetry reading to be at?” She’d gone through the proper graduation crap with her parents: the ceremony, a proper party, etc. Now she, Ruby, and the boys stood on the top of the old fishing supply building drinking bad rum. Poor Alexandra had puked hours ago and been taken home by an annoyed Lance. Everyone else had slowly departed, leaving her to try her tight walking skills on a small divide in the roof.

She jumped down and moved to make herself another drink. Once her cup was refilled she turned to find August standing dangerously close to her. She fought off the wave of fluttering butterflies that lived in her stomach whenever he was near and stood her ground.

“Would you like me to read you some poetry? I’m sure I could think of something.” His eyes moved down to her chest where her low cut shirt gave his eyes access to everything she had to offer.

Emma smirked and lifted her cup to her lips.

“No, but nice try.”

“Emma, guess what?” Ruby rushed at her and nearly knocked her over. Emma balanced herself on the heels of her feet and frowned at her spilled drink. That had been the last of the rum.

“What, Ruby?”

Ruby held up her hand excitedly. Emma wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking at but a small glint of light caught her attention.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

August took the words right out of her mouth. Sitting on Ruby’s left hand was a very tiny engagement ring. She looked up to meet August’s eyes and he shook his head, flabbergasted.

“Ruby…isn’t it a little soon for this? I mean…we just graduated. We still have college, you have the diner, and you’re only eighteen!” Hadn’t they always said they wouldn’t repeat their parent’s mistakes? “Oh God! You’re not pregnant, are you?”

“What? No!” Ruby pulled her hand back, offended.

“Oy, did my bonny lass spill the news?” Killian clamped August on the back before pulling Ruby in for a kiss.

“Yes, but not all of it.” Ruby whispered, kissing him again. With the way they were pawing at the other Emma was surprised someone wasn’t pregnant. She felt like she was about to get her own live porno show.

“Then get to it!” Killian gave Ruby’s ass a smack and she giggled before shoving him off.

“We’re going to elope!”

“No,” Emma and August said together. She was glad that she wasn’t the only one who thought this was a bad idea. “It would kill your Granny, Ruby! Don’t you want her to be there?”

“She already had made it very clear that she does not approve of us dating, so I don’t see why I should make her sit through a wedding.”

“But don’t you think the shock of finding out you went and ELOPED would give her another heart attack?”

Ruby sighed.

“Look, all I do is go to school and work at the diner. We all know me going to college is a waste of time because I’ll just end up running the Inn and the diner anyway. I’m not going to waste her money on it. I’m going to marry Killian and we’re going to help her run the businesses while he finishes his degree. She won’t be happy but she’ll get over it. At least I’m not pregnant, right?”

“Not _yet_.”

“Ugh, Emma, why are you such a killjoy?”

“I think Emma has a point, Ruby-“

“Hey, August, you’re supposed to be my mate, don’t argue. Just come along for the ride.” Killian shoved his keys into August’s hands.

“Woah, now?”

“Why not? We’re all eighteen; no one’s going to punish us for leaving. And my little virgin Emma here needs to have some fun before she goes off to law school.” Ruby pulled Killian in for another kiss.

“ _Ruby_ ,” Emma hissed, mortified.

“Whatever, come or don’t, we’ll be in the car, waiting. Don’t take too long or you might find it rockin’.”

Ruby pulled Killian towards the stairwell by the collar while Emma stood in shock.

“They’re not really…they can’t…go talk them out of it!”

“Me?” August moved to stand in front of her. He gazed down at her and shook his head. “I hate to break it you, Princess, but they’ll do it whether or not we come along. We might as well go and make sure they don’t end up dead or something.”

Emma growled, knowing he had a point. August was the only one sober enough to drive and without chaperones, who knew what those two would get into or if they’d ever see them again. Emma didn’t like any of this, but she supposed they could take a weekend trip to Atlantic City. She’d just tell her parents that she and Ruby were going to the beach or something.

“Fine, I’ll go,” she conceded. “But I’m not happy about it.”

August smirked, sending the butterflies fluttering again.

“Good. By the way? Are you really a virgin?”

Emma rolled her eyes and smacked his chest before cleaning up their mess. She was going to annihilate Ruby one of these days.

 

 


	2. Road Trip

“You’re staring,” Emma whispered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She glanced away from the window to find that August was indeed watching her with a curious smile on his lips. “What?”

“Nothing,” he replied with a goofy expression. This time she did roll her eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be watching the road? I’m not keen on dying anytime soon.”

He shook his head and turned back to the road but she caught him glancing her way a few more times. A small smile tugged at her lips but she did her best to stay composed. She wasn’t going to let August Booth get under her skin. She rested her elbow on the console and pressed her cheek into her palm as she fiddled with the radio.

They were both trying to avoid listening to Ruby and ‘Killy Willy’ going at it in the backseat. Emma made a face as their lips smacked together. She’d been unfortunate enough to catch Killian devouring Ruby’s face earlier. She wasn’t sure kissing was supposed to look that way, having only done it with Graham, but if so, she never wanted to do it again.

August caught her eye and she felt a blush rise to her cheek.

Okay, maybe not ‘never’.

She closed her eyes and thought back to the first time she’d met him. He’d been a real gentleman that night. Not only had he not taken advantage of her but he’d taken care of her. She’d just been the stupid drunk friend of his friend’s girlfriend, he’d had no obligation to be a decent human being, but he had been. He’d even come to check in on her.

_“So, your parents didn’t kill you?”_

_Emma’s head was pounding and she was in no mood for anyone’s shit. She opened her mouth to tell whoever it was that dared to taunt her at this time off but stopped once she saw it was_ him _._

_“No, they decided to punish me by making me endure the Sunday brunch noise.”_

_The kitchen bell dinged and she winced before covering her ears. She motioned for him to join her and cursed her stupid decision making._

_“How did you know I’d be here?”_

_August took a seat across from her and gave her an annoying, shit-eating grin._

_“Ruby told me. How did you know I came looking for you and not for the fine, frozen lasagna?”_

_Her cheeks went red and she reached for her coffee with a small shrug._

_“I guess that was pretty presumptuous of me.”_

_“Yes, but I have a feeling that’s just you.”_

_“It might be. So, did you come for the lasagna?”_

_He gave her another smile and she blushed again._

That hadn’t exactly been the start of a beautiful friendship. She didn’t let people in easily and he was a downright shit sometimes. To say their friendship was tenuous was putting it mildly. She liked him, which was the problem. Her liking boys never ended up well for her so she thought it best to nip it in the bud. And he could tell that he bothered her, which amused him. They spent more time snarking at one another than ever actually speaking.

She was used to it and she had no plans to change their relationship, especially when she planned to head far, far away for college.

“You’re staring again,” she mumbled and glanced over to meet his eyes. He smiled and motioned to the backseat. Emma regretted looking before she even finished turning around.

“JESUS CHRIST YOU TWO!”

She’d just now seen more of Killian Jones than she ever cared to see again.

She made a face and reached out to turn the radio _way_ up when her hand came into contact with August’s. A spark when through her and she jerked it back quickly and painfully.

“Sorry,” he muttered as she held her hand against her chest, nursing it.

“Not your fault, static electricity,” Emma muttered bashfully. He gave her a small smile and she glared at him. “What?”

“I think you like me.”

“I do not!”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, you do.”

“I don’t and even if I did, why would you care?”

He put the car on cruise, glanced over his shoulder, and then leaned in.

“Because I like you too,” he whispered before giving her a small wink. Emma stared at him blankly as he went back to driving. She crossed her arms and stared ahead at the road without speaking, for the rest of the car ride.


	3. Atlantic City

Emma turned onto her back with a small sigh. The sun felt great on her exposed skin, but not so much in her eyes. She cracked them open against the blinding light and lifted her hand up to shield herself. To her left Ruby lay sans Killian which was surprising. They hadn’t stopped kissing since the night before, when they’d left Storybrooke. Emma leaned back to work on her tan when something caught her eye.

Her throat went slightly dry as she sat up and watched as August ran across the sand to fetch the football he and Killian had been throwing back and forth. His shorts hung low on his waist, any lower and he’d be free in the wind for all to see. And he had the kind of chest hair that she wanted to run her fingers through. Plus, the way the sweat glistened off of his skin…

“Enjoying the show?”

Emma jumped and turned to find Ruby watching her with a huge grin on her face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emma huffed before lying back on her towel. Ruby chuckled and shook her head.

“You’re a terrible liar, Emma.”

August caught her eye for a moment and her cheeks went red.

“Nice suit,” he told her, giving her a small wink.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I don’t know why you don’t give that man a shot, he’s hot, you’re hot; just do it already.”

“Ruby, not all of us are willing to throw our futures away over a pretty face and hot body,” Emma scolded. Ruby smirked and shrugged.

“All right, but just remember that when you’re off at that fancy university of yours, sexually frustrated and still a virgin, he’ll be in Storybrooke rocking some other girl’s world while you wish you’d had him when you had the chance.”

Emma ignored Ruby, but a small part of her wondered if maybe she was right.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The wedding was…

Well, it was a piece of crap, shotgun style, Atlantic City wedding. There was nothing special about it. It certainly wasn’t the kind of wedding Emma would ever settle for; even to piss off her parents. But Ruby didn’t seem to mind it, in fact, she was absolutely glowing.

She jumped into Killian’s arms and wrapped her legs around his waist before kissing his neck.

“Stop drinking baby, I want to consummate this thing.”

Emma met August’s gaze and they rolled their eyes in unison.

“Haven’t the two of you ‘consummated’ enough for one weekend?”

Killian attempted to balance Ruby on his hip as he pointed a finger of the hand he was using to hold his whiskey bottle at August.

“Fuck you. You’re just mad because you’re a twenty-year old virgin. Don’t try to cock block me and my woman because you’re too busy being infatuated with the ice queen over there to get your dick wet.”

Emma’s cheeks went red and she looked away, embarrassed. She crossed her arms, uncomfortably, and looked at everything but in August’s direction.

“Fuck you!”

“Boys!” Ruby yanked the bottle out of Killian’s hand and sighed. “Stop, none of us have been to bed yet. Come on, I promise you’ll feel better when I’m done with you, _husband_ ,” Ruby purred, nipping at his ear.

Killian stumbled back and gave August a glare.

“Aye, come on lass. You’re lucky I put her first, mate.”

Emma was still trying to avoid them, but she managed to spare a huge glare for Killian.

“Fuck off, asshole; you’re drunk.”

“And you’re a bi-“

“Killian!” Ruby snapped. She hopped off of his lap and pulled him into the adjoining room. Killian snatched his bottle back from Ruby and smacked her ass before heading to their room. He gave August a ‘later’ look before allowing Ruby to pull him into the room and lock them in.

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes.

“He’s a gross asshole. I don’t know how you’re friends with him,” she muttered as she began to pick up the mess he’d made.

“I don’t either,” August admitted and helped her clean-up. Emma gave him a skeptical look but left it alone. Maybe Killian hadn’t always been a skeevy asshole, or maybe August was growing up and sick of his shit. Either way, she was too tired to really give a fuck.

She let out a small sigh and stretched. She moved to the small balcony and looked out at the city. It was much to look at, but it was better than being caught staring at August again. She cracked her neck and groaned. The shower she’d taken hadn’t done anything for her poor muscles, sore from the car ride.

“May I?” She glanced up to find August standing far too close for comfort.

“Sure?” She replied, more of a question than an answer. May he what? She’d missed something, clearly. He reached out and began to gently massage her neck.

“Oh,” she muttered, suddenly bashful.

She stood still as his fingers slowly worked away the small knot in her neck. It didn’t help, as the knot seemed to just move to her stomach. She wasn’t sure when she’d started to see August as a man, but with his cologne filling her nostrils and his magic fingers on her skin, she found herself staring at him with that stupid expression again, like she had on the beach.

He stared back at her, with an equally stupid expression. He pulled away and cleared his throat.

“Better.”

She reached up and touched the now red back of her neck.

“Yeah, thanks.”

He reached out and pulled a small piece of lint from her hair. She glanced down shyly and cursed herself. She was being an idiot. She glanced up and found him standing even closer to her. They watched each other for a long moment. August leaned in and her heart began to race. She stayed frozen, anticipating his lips on hers.

“I’ll take the floor,” he whispered as he suddenly pulled away. She blinked in surprise. A moment later her cheeks went red. She wasn’t sure why he’d changed his mind but now she was embarrassed and angry and she wasn’t even going to insist they share the bed. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

She threw herself into bed and flipped off the lamp. She crossed her arms and watched as he fumbled around in the dark. Her cheeks went red again, but this time it was because she caught sight of him without his shirt again. She huffed and threw her pillow over her head and stayed that way until she angrily fell asleep.


End file.
